Treatment
Treatment choices are based on the type of skin cancer present and its stage
How is Melanoma treated?
Surgery- A surgeon removes the tumor with some of the normal tissue surrounding the tumor in order to reduce the likelihood that any cancer cells that may have spread are left behind
- Through staging the surgeon will know how big and deep the tumor is
- If the melanoma is in the later stages a lymph biopsy and removal may be decided best for the patient
- In a lymph node dissection the surgeon removes all lymph nodes in the region of the melanoma
- If the cancer is also in the later stages then surgery may be combined with chemotherapy and/or radiation
- During chemotherapy drugs are introduced into the body in order to attempt to kill the cancerous cells
- This is usual done in cycles (treatment phase and rest phase) and is completed as an outpatient basis, but a short hospital stay may be necessary
- Patients may receive chemotherapy via mouth or injection, but either way the chemicals will enter the bloodstream and move throughout the body
- This type of therapy uses high-energy rays to kill the cancer cells in the body
- A large machine is positioned precisely as to direct the beam of energy to the specific region
- May be used to help control the melanoma, shrink tumors and relieve symptoms
How are non-melanoma’s treated?
Curettage and desiccation- This method consists of ‘scooping’ out skin cancer cells by using an instrument that closely resembles a spoon, called a curette
- Desiccation is the additional application of an electric current to control bleeding and kill the remaining cancer cells
- The skin is able to heal without any stitches, and is best suited for small cancer areas on the trunk, arms, and legs
- The tumor and a little bit of the surrounding area is taken out and the area is stitched back up
Cryosurgery
- Cells of basal and squamous cell carcinomas are frozen during this technique, which kills the abnormal cells